Wood-impregnating apparatus.



, .w. A. CECIL. WOOD IMPREGNATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. I914.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. A. CEClL.

W000 IMPREGNATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. I914. 1,17,132. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

not

W L IAM A; cnorn, or E ANSVILLE, INDIAN 'As'sIeNonor ONE-HALF 'ro nonnnr n.

V 7 w1m.mms, or nvnnsvrmn'mnmnn.

I To all windy-concern:

citizen "of -the United -States, -re'sidin at Evansville, injthe county of Vander urg' 5 ;"and' State of Indiana, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Wood-Impregnating Apparatus, of which the followg ngis. a specification.

-;"An.object of"my invention is to provide Jan apparatusso constructedthat a mixture I orfiemulsion of oils or oil and solutions immiscibletherewit'h may- 'be introduced' into the 'impregnatin'g'fchamber and will be '7 maintained a perfectmixture or emulsion during the period of absorption or penetraf further object is {to accomplish acon stant and 'more or less rapid circulation and- ,passing of uthe -.impregnating mixture. or einulsion from the" liquid supply'tank into the impregnating tank or cylinder and back again to the supply tank, and thus maintain a fresh supply ofimpregna'ting the ylinder at all times, .25

1 Yet another objectis: to prevent the stoppageor plugging ofthe cells and pores of the .--wood fWlth" carbon or 'anysuspended matter that may be inthe oil solution, this j {being accomplished" through holding. the

i be movedaway "fromflthe entrance to the pores 'or cells'of the wood by- .maintaini ng the eonstant circulation of the preservative fluid'in the impregnating cylinder during a A- still further object'is to'provide an apmatter suspended and causing'the same to the period of penetration; Y

paratus in whichthe impregnating-fluid is e maintained :and ;'operated under pressure -,;accompanying drawings and more particus during the penetrating proce'ssand the air driven-from the cells: of the wood. by the penetration ofthe impregnatin fluidinto the pores-thereof is" permitte to escape in without reducing the pressure. of the liquid 1 within the impregnating cylinder, or' in' anyf way disinte rating or' disturbing' the homo-j e liquidflcontained within this;

cylinder;

Y'Withlother objects'in: view, which will be referred to,,m.'y invention consists in the peculiar 1 combination i and. =.no el' arrange mentoii parts, such'ias will beg-hereinafter more-fully described-Lin connection with the larly pointed-out in'the appendedclaims. I

' ,WOOD-IMPREGNATING APPARATUS.

' Specification or Letters Patent.

ratus.

Patented Apr. a, rate.

View inside elevation to illustrate the general arrangement of the parts of my appational view through t e impregnating cylnder and the liquid supply tank as disclosed m Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail sectional view to better illustrate the structure of the automatic pressure valve.

Fig. 2 is'a lon 'tudinal vertical sec-- grained timber is accomplished when the liquid is circulated over and around each piece of wood during the time of imgregna- 11011. When the impregnating liquid is an admlxture of two or more ingredients of different specific gravity, .as forinstance,

a; mixture of dead oil of tar, creosote, and a zinc chlorid solution, considerable dificulty is experienced in preventing the liquid mix ture breaking down and separating into its component ingredients, and it is the purpose of my invention to provide an apparatus which will attain and maintain this perfect mixture or emulsion of the several ingredients of different specific gravities making up the impregnating liquid during the entire period of absorption and penetration. The liquid supply tank 1 which is designed to contain the supply of liquid which is being'constantly circulated ,through the impregnating cylinder. 2 during the operation of treating-timbers therein, has a suit- I able agitator located therein. to keep the supply liquid constantly agitated and mixed to a homogeneous emulsion. This agitator may be of any desired form but in the present insta n'oeis illustrated asan' air-supply pipe 3 I which is run to. the bottomof the liquid supply-tank 1 and is extended along the bottom where it is provided with the perforations 4:which permit the air supplied therethrough topass up through the liquid and disturb the ingredients of the heaviest Specific gravity which will have settled to the bottom of this tank and-to cause these ingrew .dients-to be movedin an upward current through the ingredients of a lower specific gravity whicli havea tendency to'rise to the topv of the solution.

meet +F.ia ,,sja sem he rreem u e W d of any desired form and dimensions, this cylinder being provided with one open end, and a door 5 adapted to be closed over this open end and held liquid and air tight by the securng clamp 6. A filling and return pipe 7 connects with the bottom of the liquid supply tank 1 and at its opposite end is concured in place, and to permit the return of the impregnating flui d from this cylinder when the treating action has ceased and it is desired to empty the cylinder so that the door 5 can be opened to permit the removal of the treated timber and the placing of untreated timber in the cylinder to be impregnated.

A pressure pump 9 is installed as a part of the apparatus, a pipe 10 extending from the lower part of the liquid supply tank 1 to the,pump 9 and a pipe 11 being connected froin the pump to the impregnating cylinder 2. It is preferable that the pipe 11 be extended through the bottom of the cylinder 2 and that the branch discharge pipe 12 provided with the plurality of; discharge openings 13 be connected with this ipe 11 to extend throughout the length of the cylinder 2 and thus insure an even discharge of liquid into all parts of the cylinder. The liquid outlet pipe 14 has a plurality of branches andthese branches are each connected with the impregnating cylinder 2 in the upper part thereof, an automatic pressure valve 15 is connected in the discharge from this outlet pipe 14 and a return pipe 16 is connected Zwith the automatic-pressure valve 15 in such relation that the liquid passing therethrough is conducted and discharged into theliquid supply tank 1. A branch pipe 17 is connected between the outlet pipe 14 and the return pipe 16 through which the liquid maj be circulated while'the pressure is being raised. in the impregnating cylinder. A valve 18 which in the present instance is disclosed as of the manually operated type,

but: which might be governed and actuated by {suitable automatic or mechanical control means is located at any convenient point in the; branch pipe 17 to permit control of the passage of the liquid through this pipe to gradually raise the pressure within the tank to a point where the automatic pre sure valve will operate, and it will be understood that by manipulation of the valve, the pipe may be left entirely open during the filling of the impregnating tank and may be gradu-" ally closed until the proper pressure is attalned and thus no shock will be generated.

and at opposite end is connected with the boiler supplying steam to the pump 9 or with any other suitable means to supply steam therethrough to dry the sap and other moisture out of the pores of the wood preparatory to the impregnating process. A pipe 21 is connected with the upper side of cylinder 2 and a branch 22 of this pipe controlled by the valve 23 is connected with any suitable source of supply of compressed air, a second branch pipe 24 controlled by a valve 25 being connected with a vacuum pump or other suitable means to extract the moisture, air, and steam from the impregnating cylinder2 just prior to the introduction of the impregnating liquid thereinto.

' The pressure valve, as better shown in Fig. 3, comprises the case 15' which has the valve proper 26 mounted therein be- .tween the connection with the pipe 14 prospring 27 is provided to bear against this valve 26 to exert a pressure to oppose the opening of this valve and consequently to oppose the passage of liquid from the outlet pipe 14 to the return pipe 16. I have illustrated the spring 27 as a' simple coil spring placed around the stem of the valve 26 to bear against the reverse side of the valve and against the head of the case 15. It will be understood that by changing this spring and substituting therefor a spring of a greater or less stifiness, the valve 26 can be regulated to open at varying pressures, also in some instances it may be found desirable to providemeans whereby the tentherein and the door 5 is closed into place and is secured to make the cylinder air and liquid tight. The valve 19 is opened to permit the passage of steam preferably dry steam, through the pipe 20 to fill the impregnating cylinder 2 and the wood is steamed a sulficient length of time to cause the moisture and sap contained in the pores.

and cells thereof to be evaporated out into the atmosphere of the impregnating cylinder. 'When a sufficient amount of the m0isture containedin the wood has been evaporated out, the valve 19 is again closed to shut off the supply of steam, and valve 25 in the pipe 24 which leads to the vacuum pump, not shown, is opened, thus permitting. the-alr, moisture, and steam withinthe cyl-i inder 2 to be exhausted through the pipe 21 connected therewith. This operation extracts the air and the remaining moisture from the wood leaving the cells and pores open, and in proper condition to absorb the preserving liquid. After a vacuum equal to from twenty-two to twenty-seven 1nches of mercury has been maintained in the interlor of the cylinder 2 for, under ordinary working conditions, from forty minutes to one hour, the valve 8 in the pipe 7 is then opened and the liquid flows from the liquld supply tank 1 into the exhausted impregnating cylinder 2 to entirely fill this cylinder and completely submerge the wood contained therein to be treated. The valve 25 in the pipe 24 is now closed to cut off communication from the vacuum pump, valve 8 is closed to cut off communication from the liquid supply tank 1 to the impregnating cylinder 2 through the pipe 7. The valve 18 in the pipe 17 is opened to almost the full extent, the pump 9 is started, and liquid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder and is caused to flow through the pipe 17. The valve 18 is set so that at the commencement, substantially the full quantity of liquid supplied to the chamber may discharge therethrough and this valve is then gradually closed down until the passage through the pipe 17 is entirely through the pipe 10 from the liquid supply tank 1 and then forces it through the pipe 11 under pressure to the impregnating cylinder 2, and as the cylinder 2 has been filled with liquid through the pipe 7, the further supply of liquid thereto through the pipe 11 causes the pressure to be proportionately i11- creased. The liquid finds its way through the several branches of the pipe 14 to the automatic pressure valve and by exerting a pressure against the valve 26 thereof overcomes the tension of the spring 27 causes this valve to be unseated-and permits the flow of liquid from the outlet pipe 14 through the return pipe 16 to the operating tank 1, there to be again, by the agitating air, thoroughly emulsified into a homogeneous preserving liquid to be again drawn through the pipe 10 by the action of the pressure pump 9 and thence pass through the pipe 11 to be circulated to the impregnating cylinder 2 around the wood to be treated. This operation is continued for perhaps from two to eight hours, depending on the quality and condition of the wood to be treated, until the proper impregnation has taken place, then the pump is stopped, valve 8 is opened, and valve 23 inthe pipe 22 compressed air is supplied to the impregnating cylinder'2 to force the treating liquid back through the pipe 7 to discharge into the liquid supply tank 1. When the fluid has been entirely discharged from the impregnating cylinder 2, the valve cut oil. This pump 9 takes liquid by openmg:

8 will be again closed and the liquid will be retained in the liquid supply tank 1, the door 5 can then be released from its closed position and the treated wood removed from the cylinder and untreated wood placed therein to be impregnated after which the operation is repeated as hereinbefore set forth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus to be used to impregnate wood with a preservative liquid, so arranged that an impregnating liquid comprismg several immiscible ingredients of differing specific gravity may be used, and the liquid will be maintained in a perfectly emulsified and homogeneous state.- Further as it is impracticable with the present method to obtain a perfect vacuum within the impregnating chamber and to withdraw all of the air from the cells of the wood, a certain percentage-of air will be retained within the impregnating cylinder and also in the pores of the wood, and as this air is forced out by the supply of impregnating liquid to the cylinder and the penetration ofthe same into the pores of the Wood, this air will not be retained in the impregnating chamber, but is permitted to pass freely from the impregnating chamber back to the operating tank and there performs a useful operation in agitating the liquid contained within this liquid supply tank and that discharged from the impregnating cylinder through the return pipe.

It will be understood that slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from .pressure of the impregnating liquid as circulated through said cylinder.

2. A wood impregnating apparatus comprising an impregnatin cylinder, a liquidsupply tank, a supply pm from the liquidsupply tank to the impregnating cylinder, a return pipe from the impregnating cylinder to empty into the liquid-supply tank, means tocause a constant circulation of liquid under pressure through the impregnating cylinder, and means to maintain a constant and predetermined pressure of the impregnating. liquid as circulated through said cylinder.

3. A wood impregnating apparatus com prisin an impre atin c linder, a liquid supply tank, a suy i ily pl pe irom the liquidsupply tank to the impregnating cylinder, a return pipe from the impregnating cylinder to empty into the liquid-supply tank, means mounted in the return pipe to impede the free passage of liquid therethrough, and

, means connected in the supply pipe to pass the liquid therethrough under pressure and to cause a circulation through the return pipe.

4. A wood impregnating apparatus com prising an impregnating cylinder, a liquidsupply tank, a liquid supply pipe connected between the liquid-supply tank and the im pregnating cylinder, a liquid return pipe connected from the impregnating cylinder to discharge into the liquid-supply tank, a pressure pump located in the supply pipe to cause the liquid to be discharged to the impregnating cylinder under pressure, and a valve arranged in the return pipe to maintain the pressure of the liquid within the impregnating cylinder and to permit circulation of the liquid through this pipe.

5. A wood impregnating apparatus comprising an impregnating cylinder, a liquidsupply tank, supply and'return pipes connecting these two members, a pipe to supply a fluid to evaporate the moisture from the wood when placed in the impregnating cylinder, a pipe through which the moisture nating cylinder and to permit the circulation through this return pipe.

- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. T

WILLIAM A. CECIL Witnesses:

ALLEN DEAN, A. C. ANCONA. 

